Awl

Name/Title

Awl

Entry/Object ID

1994.41.1

Description

Awl made of whale bone. It has a rectangular top portion with a elongated diamond-shaped pointed bottom section. There are irregularities in the bone show that show holes and slight color changes.

Context

Made by Nathaniel Burbank of South Walden, Vermont.

Acquisition

Accession

1994.41

Source or Donor

Lyndes, Bryce B.

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

In memory of Pauline Burbank Lyndes Welch

Made/Created

Artist

Burbank, Nathaniel (1828-1913)

Date made

circa 1860

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Awl

Nomenclature Class

Multiple Use T&E for Materials

Nomenclature Category

Category 04: Tools & Equipment for Materials

Material

Whale Bone

Relationships

Related Places

Place

Town

Walden

County

Caledonia County

State/Province

Vermont

Country

United States of America

Continent

North America

Interpretative Labels

Label

Nathaniel Burbank of South Walden, Vermont wen to sea in 1858 and didn't return home until after the end of the Civil War. The logbook was kept of his first voyage aboard the Joseph Grinnell, which sailed for the Pacific Ocean out of Bedford, Massachusetts on June 18, 1858 under William Thomas as Master. Burbank made his awls from whalebone and drew the picture of his prey, the Sperm whale. Throughout his voyage he would stamp the book with a whale for a capture and a whale's tail for one that got away. Burbank's written accounts of his whaling career end in 1862. His accounts in this book continued in 1872 listing produce from and work on his Vermont farm.